Positive displacement pump



1386- 1964 H. BECHER ETAL POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8. 1962 INVENTORS A/JIFOAD Biff/5P 1964 H. BECHER ETAL 62,

POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP Filed March 8, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 43 9 FIG. 2 4 33 INVENTOK? 136 22, 1964 H. BECHER ETAL POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 8, 1962 FIG. 4

1954 H. BECHER ETAL 3,162,359

POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP Filed March 8, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 7

United States Patent 3,162,359 POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP Harold Beeher, Brooklyn, and Cleburne B. Hatfield, New York, N .Y., assignors to Straw-Missiles, Inc., New York, N.Y.

Filed Mar. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 178,392 2 Claims. (Cl. 230-149) This invention relates to pumps, more particularly to pumps of the compressor type, having positive displacement characteristics.

This application is a continuation in part of the copending application of Cleburne B. Hatfield, Serial No. 494,- 634, filed March 16, 1955, issued as United States Patent No. 3,024,596, for a Propulsion System.

One object of this invention is to provide a compressor capable of compressing gases to very high pressures at high operating efficiencies.

Another object of our invention is to provide a positive displacement pump having a large volumetric displace ment capacity.

Another object is to provide a compressor which is light in weight, compact in structure and easy to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a compressor having simultaneously rotary as well as reciprocating action.

Another object is to provide a pump capable of transferring simultaneously two or three separate and distinct fluids.

Other objects will appear more fully upon consideration of the detailed description of the embodiment of the invention which follows herein. Although one specific form of the compressor is described and illustrated in the following drawings, it is to be understood that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and shall not be construed as defining the scope of the invention for which latter purpose reference should be had to the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical longitudinal section view of the pump.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse section view of FIGURE 1 along A-A.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse section view of FIGURE 1 along BB.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse end view of FIGURE 1 along CC.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse section view of FIGURE 1 along DD.

FIGURE 6 is a section view of FIGURE 2 along BE, in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 is a View of FIGURE 2 along G-G.

FIGURE 8 is a view of a fragment of FIGURE 1 along F-F.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, a shaft 1 is shown supported on each end by a sleeve bearing 2. These sleeve bearings are supported by the projecting portions 3 of the end housing 4. The shaft 1 has splines 5 formed as an integral part of the shaft, during a major portion of its length, and which fit into internal splines 6 of the rotor 7. This compels the rotor to rotate in unison with the shaft. An annular housing 8, substantially cylindrical in overall shape encloses the outer perimeter of the pump unit and has protruding portions 9 containing slots 10 adapted to receive radially reciprocating gates 11. The slots 10 are rectangular spaces enclosed at the top by the portion 12 of the protrusion 9, and are equal in height to the housing 8.

The radially reciprocating gate 11 is provided with rollers or needle bearings 15, one near each end 14 of the gate 11, or a total of 4 rollers. Bearing pins 16 are inserted through the needle bearings, as shown. The holes 17 are formed through the ends 14 of gate 11 to permit the insertion of the bearing pin 16 and the assembly of the rollers 15 in place. The four rollers 15 roll on the surface of the rotor 7, which is formed of three lobes, 7a, 7b and 7c, each located at one third of a circle or degrees apart. The surface of the rotor and three lobes are formed with a curve of such configuration that as the cylindrical surface of the upper and lower rollers 15 roll upon the surface of the rotor 7, they will at all times contact or bear on the rotor or lobe surface simultaneouesly. As shown in FIGURE 1, the rotor is in such a rotational position that the upper roller 15 is touching the outer tip of one of the three lobes while the lower roller is contacting one of the valleys between the lobes. When the rotor is rotated degrees, the lowermost roller touches the outermost tip of one lobe while the upper roller touches the most radially inward point between the lobes. As the rotor 7 rotates, the gate 11 moves in such a manner as to reciprocate in the radially opposite slots 10. The upper and lower ends of the gate are secured by two connecting bars 18 and made integral with each other as a single assembly. FIGURE 3 shows a side view and FIGURE 5 shows an end view of the gate assembly. The two bars 18 are secured at each end of the gate so that the shaft 1 is straddled. There are four sleeve rollers 19, supported on bearing shafts 20, which roll in grooves 21 and support each side of the reciprocating gate so that the gate can move in a linear direction only. Thus, when the rotor 7 rotates the gate moves from the lowermost position to the highest and back again causing reciprocation as the rotation of the rotor continues. The curve of the rotor is so generated that the reciprocation of the gate is a simple harmonic motion with gradual acceleration and deceleration, while the rotor rotates with uniform speed.

The spacing between the surface of the lobes of the rotor and the inner tips of the gate 11 is very close, with the cylindrical surfaces of the rollers 15 projecting about 2 to 3 thousands of an inch radially beyond the inner tips of the gate. This is in order to reduce sliding friction and to establish a rolling contact between the surfaces of the rotor 7 and of the gate 11 and to keep leakage to a minimum.

In FIGURE 5 is shown the narrow neck 22 which connects the upper and lower parts of the gate 11 to the bifurcated side connecting parts 23 forming a wide slot in between the two bars 18 to straddle the shaft 1. This arrangement forms a slot 24 between the outer connecting bars and the gate and makes possible the travel of the gate to the extreme upward or lowermost positions without interference with the housing ends 4 and disks 25. The housing and disks are provided in order to form a virtually airtight means to cover the slots between the connecting bars and to fill a portion of the slots 10. The disks 25 are assembled in the recess of the end housing 4. The inner surface of the rims 26 of the same recess comprises a circular projecting boss of the cylindrical housing 8 and thus securely holds the cylindrical housing from expanding as a result of the slots 10 which are in its perimeter. Machine screws 28 pass through the outer end housing 4, through the disk 25 and thread into the ends of the housing 8 to secure the assembly of the component parts together. The holes 29 on the disk 25 through which passes the shaft 1 are covered closely by the ends of the rotor 7 so that virtually no fluid can escape through the holes. The configuration of the neck 22 and its semicircular edge 31 and the semicircular formations 30 are such that the ends of the gate 11 always fill the spaces 10 regardless of the position of reciprocation of the gate and thus prevent air leakage. Air is trapped between the housing 8 and the lobes of the rotor 7 and cannot escape except through the inlet orifices 32 and the outlet orifices 33,

In operation, as the rotor 7 is made to rotate by application of an external power to the shaft 1, the air in space A which is trapped between the lobes 7 c and7b, the housing 8, and the .disks 25, isfurther compressed as the "volume in space A becomes smaller. Further rotation of the rotor '7 causestherolle'rs l5ltofr'ollidown the'sloping side of "the lobe 7b and the gate 11 which formsga part of the boundary of the-space Afwhichis holdingequan tity 'offair'inconfinemerit. "Simultaneously, air-is entering 7 spaces C and 'D"throug'h'the air 'inlet ports '32. series of exhaust ori-fices 33 are (provided in the protruding portions 9 o'fith'e housing '8, and in these are placed spring loaded valves, consisting of "a metallic lining which is covered with a laye'r'3'6 of asuitable type of self lubricating and highheatres istarit material, held by springs 34 against the seats 37 at the bottom jof the "exhaust orifices annular openings '39 through which-the compressed air may pass from spaceA, whenthe rotor 7 has rotated far enough from the initial position to increase the pressure in space A to apoint slightly g'reatcrthanthat in thecorn- 'and .pass through the opening ,41 into the compressed'air pipeline 40. When the 'lobe "7c has rotated 'uritilfits tip .33.and secured at theother ends of the fo'rifices' by'the ,pads ,38; s In the centerjof the valve seats 37 there "are p l 4 7 fuel and air. This causes therotor 7 to rotate'and actuate the ends of the gate as pistons in the slots 10, thereby acting as aconverter of rotary motion into reciprocating motion. Conversely, causing a' fuel-air infeed andexplosion in slot 10 will, reciprocating the gate 11, convert its reciprocating motion into. rotary motion of the rotor 7.

, The pumpdescribed hereincan be used .as an air meter-l 'ing pump by removal ofthe springs 34 and the valves 35,

The chamber in slot 10 -c a"n be 'ils'ed's imult aneously to meter fuelby provision'ofirilets '42 andoutlets 43.

Other modifications and applications. can be developed "by'th'ose skilled in the-art. It is not our interition to limit this invention 'to 'theexamples shown but to define it by the appended claims. I

Weclaim: f' v t V I 1. I i a positive displacement pump, a circular cylindrical housing, a rectangular chamber'e'x'tending radially outward of saidhousinganddisposed diametrically opposite a second chamber extending radially outward of said housing, a p'air of inlet ports disposedinto said 'housing diametrically opposite with respect to each other, a pair of outlet ports leading from said housing and disposed is under the opening '39 all the air in 'space'Ai'sfo'rced into the airline 'throug h t he. opening 39. A'tfthispoi'n't, the pressure in the springs 34 'andthe'ba'ck pressure in the compressed air line '40 force the val've'sf3'6j dowir'on the seats 37 preventing escape of .the' air "which has been compressed. I

The right half an pump is "compressing air s'iin'u'lta- V n'eous'ly as the left half. This means that the cubical volume of the three spaces between the three lobes of the rotor '7 and the annular outer housin'g '8 i's emptied offthe air twice for each revolution of .therotor. This makesfor the port 43 which 'can also beprovidedwitha spring loaded check valve to zpermitexha'u's't at a suitable 'pressure. The arrows 42a showinput and andwnsa shows exhaust.

The chamber in 'the slot 10 may also be us'ed'to pump [a second fluid or liquid, such, as gasor fuel "oil, while the rotor 7 is pumping another fluid or air. It may also serve to deliver-a lubricant to prime the rotor.

o By utilizing the chamberin the slot 10 as shown','the 5 system can be used as a .prime mover, byproviding a fuel injector and aspark'plug at 32, causing an explosion of diametrically opposite with respect to each other, end plates on'the top and bottom of said housing, amultilobed rotor in said housing, a shaft supported centrally to and betweensaid end .plates-and'passing through'the center of said rotor, a. gatejoiried at its top and'bottom by bifurcated bar s straddling 's a idsha'ft, an'opning 'in'said gate substantially equalin width to'the diametric distance "from thelbottomof a valley between twoadj'acen't lobes to thc tip of the diametrically opposite lobe of said rotor and in height to the length of the -face of said rotor, a-pair of rollerbearings.mounted ean; inner axial face of said opening and disposed opposite with respect to each other at the ends of the said face, each bearing extending axially a small portion of the respective end of said face, said .Ybearing's adapted to, roll between the inner face of said I high volumetric efficiency. This efficiency can be aug- 4O pression chamber, as showninfFIGURBB; Byfprovid- I outlet ports.

opening and the-surface of the'lobes of said rotor and to prevent 'th'etinuer "face of said opening from contacting said rotor, said rotor constructed to reciprocaitejsaid gate :di'ametrically in said chamb'ers by the rotation of said rotor, the reciprocationof said gate and rotationof said :rotor serving to draw a flu'id into said housing through said inlet ports and to discharge the fluid through said 2. The puinp described in claim 1,' including, in addition, an inlet port insaid chamber and an outlet' p'ort in 'said chamber, whereby a fluid is pumped through said chamber by the reciprocation of the gate insaid chamber.

References Cited in the file of. this patent UNITED STATES L PATENTS 

1. IN A POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP, A CIRCULAR CYLINDRICAL HOUSING, A RECTANGULAR CHAMBER EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD OF SAID HOUSING AND DISPOSED DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE A SECOND CHAMBER EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD OF SAID HOUSING, A PAIR OF INLET PORTS DISPOSED INTO SAID HOUSING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, A PAIR OF OUTLET PORTS LEADING FROM SAID HOUSING AND DISPOSED DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, END PLATES ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID HOUSING, A MULTILOBED ROTOR IN SAID HOUSING, A SHAFT SUPPORTED CENTRALLY TO AND BETWEEN SAID END PLATES AND PASSING THROUGH THE CENTER OF SAID ROTOR, A GATE JOINED AT ITS TOP AND BOTTOM BY BIFURCATED BARS STRADDLING SAID SHAFT, AN OPENING IN SAID GATE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN WIDTH TO THE DIAMETRIC DISTANCE FROM THE BOTTOM OF A VALLEY BETWEEN TWO ADJACENT LOBES TO THE TIP OF THE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE LOBE OF SAID ROTOR AND IN HEIGHT TO THE LENGTH OF THE FACE OF SAID ROTOR, A PAIR OF ROLLER BEARINGS MOUNTED ON EACH INNER AXIAL FACE OF SAID OPENING AND DISPOSED OPPOSITE WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER AT THE ENDS OF THE SAID FACE, EACH BEARING EXTENDING AXIALLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE RESPECTIVE END OF SAID FACE, SAID BEARINGS ADAPTED TO ROLL BETWEEN THE INNER FACE OF SAID OPENING AND THE SURFACE OF THE LOBES OF SAID ROTOR AND TO PREVENT THE INNER FACE OF SAID OPENING FROM CONTACTING SAID ROTOR, SAID ROTOR CONSTRUCTED TO RECIPROCATE SAID GATE DIAMETRICALLY IN SAID CHAMBERS BY THE ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR, THE RECIPROCATION OF SAID GATE AND ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR SERVING TO DRAW A FLUID INTO SAID HOUSING THROUGH SAID INLET PORTS AND TO DISCHARGE THE FLUID THROUGH SAID OUTLET PORTS. 